Stories wrote in the sand
by Griffin Strange
Summary: Taliyah has finally reached Shurima, however she never expected to be caught in a journey that will decide the fate of Shurima. Travelling along Nasus and Sivir she will learn a lot of things about the secrets that the desert holds and also about herself.


**HEY ! I just couldn't find any story about Taliyah and Azir ! (In fact there was only TaliyahXfckingnoobchampYasuoreportforhackandnerf/delete) but anyway ! I just had to write something so here it is ! Make sure to leave a review and tell me what you think about it ... or send me a friend request for a duo Q ... works too **

* * *

Nashramae, a great harbour of Shurima, famous for its festival dedicated to Rammus and ... well mostly the festival in fact.

"You have been staring at this rock for the last 5 minutes ... are you alright young lady ?"

Taliyah looked up a bit surprised, the innkeeper shook her out of her thoughts.

"Y-yes excuse ... I'm just a little tired" she explained

"Oh really ? ... how sad !" He grabbed some crate and brought them in the room behind the counter "It's sad ... the festival is just starting, aren't you staying ?"

Taliyah looked throught the window of the inn, the townsfolks were parading in the streets, wearing costumes of Rammus and other famous figures like Nasus, Renekton or ...

Azir ... no one was wearing a costume but she clearly saw the wooden effigy of him passing right in her line of sight.

"You like this one ?" Asked the innkeeper, Taliyah kept looking at the parade "judging by your clothing you aren't from Shurima"

"In fact I am" corrected Taliyah "I just came back I was ... travelling"

"Haha ... then you missed a lot, I guess you recognized most of them but the last one, hehe, I recognize that's it is new"

"Azir ... does he really looks like this ?"

The innkeeper shrugged and took a better look ... the wooden effigy was very ... simplified but very detailed at the same time, a human body with the face of bird, the face Itself looked like the helmet of an armored but as if it was fused with the body.

"I can't say ... honestly i have no idea of what's going on further to the south ... no one goes here and you should do the same"

"I will go east first" Taliyah lied "I have some ... work to finish"

"Hey ... you look pretty young you know ? ... those clothes ... are they from Ionia ? This is not the closest destination ? May I ask what you were doing so far ?"

"... none of your business sorry" she tried to sound as friendly as possible thoughts the man seemed annoyed

"Bahhh, it doesn't matter ... but at least before you go, try to enjoy our festival"

"I will try"

Taliyah paid off the innkeeper and went outside, the street was crowded, she had to be careful ... no definitely she would not stay here any longer, the simple sight of this damned effigy sickened her.

She had to head straight toward the south, hopefully if her map was right she would reach Zuretta before the end of the day.

On her way she thought again about what she will do when she reach her destination ... what will she do when she arrives in front of him ? What if she wasn't strong enough ?

Azir ... she knew almost nothing about the- ... no it wasn't a man anymore, who knew what could be happening in the mind of an ascended ?

She finally reached the edge if the city ... However, when she noticed the color of sky, Taliyah knew that she would have to wait.

"A sandstorm ... this one hasn't stopped since last night" Taliyah looked right next to her ... a giant ... a real giant, at least two times her size, maybe three. He was wearing a cloak which was completely hiding his body but the hands, they were covered with rags "I fear what they announce ... Shurima became a dangerous place"

"... will it stop ?" Asked Taliyah

The giant didn't flinch, instead he looked at the sky.

"... yes ... but I can't say exactly when ... maybe in a day or two"

Cursed desert, a couple of days ? She will lost too much time.

"Are you in a hurry ?" Asked the giant as if Taliyah thoughts were so visible

"... I have family in this direction" she lied, they would never go around here it's too hot and not safe enough, Taliyah just hoped that the man would stop asking question.

"Lie" the man sounded simply bored, if his tone had been any different Taliyah would be scared "you are looking for this this aren't you ?" The giant turned Round and pointed at the famous replica of the sun disk, place at the highest point of the harbour ... most likely it was being used as a lighthouse for the ships.

Taliyah didn't answer, if she did it would just give this stranger the satisfaction of being right.

"You could wait and enjoy the festival yes but ... I'm not really fond of it too"

"I'd rather say that I doesn't like this place"

"Haha ... too much people ? Then you are clearly a nomad ... I'm looking for someone too ... then in going to the same destination as you, maybe we would travel together ?"

"... I do not trust stranger I'm sorry" replied Taliyah

"Hum ... courageous and smart, Shurima needs people like you ... it so sad to see that our land is ... invaded by those idiots"

The man directed his gaze toward another street, Taliyah did the same and she understood what he was talking about, noxians.

"... they have no interest in the desert"

"Oh trust me they do ... they are a threat, a dangerous one"

"We both agree on this point ... when are you leaving ?"

"At noon, but before that I have to finish my research"

"Where should we met ?"

"Right here"

The man walked away, each of his steps looked so heavy but were silent as if he walked in sand.

"... before you go can I have your name ?"

The man stopped, and turned around toward Taliyah.

"Nasus" he simply said

At this moment Taliyah could swear that she had seen the muzzle of a dog throught the cloak, but when she tried to follow the man through the crowd he had disappeared ... she would have to wait to be sure.

... She just met an ascended ? In the middle of a street ? And they actually talked together ? ... what was he doing here anyway ? He said he was looking for someone ... Azir ? No ... with everything that's happening in the south at least one persons here would have heard a rumour, people would be surprise to see how fast this kind of information is travelling.

* * *

Nasus felt it ... the power in this young girl, she would be a great ally, now he had to find the one he was looking for ... he didn't have much time, he could feel it coming ... Xerath ... he was close, very close, even too close.

_"how did he find so much energy in only a few days ?" _Though Nasus as he perpetually checked the sky and analyzed the sounds around him.

There was a few advantages coming with his ascended form ... he didn't knew her name but he knew that she was a woman ... he was getting closer, a strong women ... he would recognize her with the weapon ... the damned key.

"Dent make this harder, just lay down and everything will be-"

Nasus was like trigerred by the voice ... and also what interrupted it, fresh blood ... a clean cut at the neck. This part of city was empty, an ambush ? ... one ... three ... no four.

Nasus ran as fast as he could toward them.

"Kill her ! It doesn't matter if she dies !" Ordered another voice which belonged to a man

Nasus appeared behind the woman, he immediately recognised the weapon, he found her ...

She turned around, she didn't expect someone else to show up behind her, and even less to be so tall.

Nasus jumped above her and slammed one of the men against the ground before throwing his body at the others.

"What the-" she drew her weapon toward Nasus

"Fear not" Nasus raised his hand and motioned to stop "I'm here to help ... can you fight ?"

"Yes"

"Good" he looked back at the men ... they were already running "pathetic"

"... I could have done that by myself ... what do you want"

"First, maybe ... and second, I'm here to protect you"

The woman was sceptic "your face ... Nasus ?"

He removed his cloak and bowed "yes, it is my name ... and you must be the descendant"

"Descenda- ? ... oh ... of course, he had to send you after me ... did he ?"

"No, I am here by my own choice, I have no idea of what Azir is preparing, however Xerath is looking for you ... and he will be bere SOON ... now ... do you have a name ?"

The woman put back her weapon on her back and extended her hand to shake Nasus's.

"I am Sivir"

* * *

Sivir didn't have much choice ... since she accepted this stupid escort her life had became a littoral mess.

_"Be Damned Cassiopea"_

She had found a way to, at the same time, create a dangerous monster, free two others from their prison and resurrect the lost emperor of Shurima. What an incredible day ...

Nasus was right ... she could handle a few idiots but not an ascended, a dangerous and mentally hill ascended.

"... where are we going ?"

"To the sun disk, once we are here we will find a way to defeat Xerath and end this madness"

"Unless you noticed there is a permanent stupid sand storm right at the entrance of the city ... I hope you have a backup"

"I do we will make a detour, if we go west then we can avoid it, it will be a long road but I'm certain that we will be away from danger"

"Why not east ? You fear the creatures of the void ?"

"... and so do you"

"Great, I guess I'm stuck with you until you find a way to either lock him up again or to kill it"

Nasus did not reply, first because he was too focused on protecting Sivir and second becUse this is the kind of subject that he would rather avoid.

"We went be alone, someone is coming with us"

"Oh, another ascended or 1000 years old desert mage ?"

"... ha ... no"

"So what ? Mercenary ?"

Again Nasus did not reply, they were getting close from the south entrance of the city, where Nasus's friend was waiting.

Sivir looked around ... she saw noxians, Nasus would never make an alliance with those brutes, there was also a few merchant ... but no mercenary.

"So ? ... looks like you- well we are alone now"

"Not exactly"

Nasus waved at someone ... a ... a kid ? Sivir did not recognise the kind of cloth she was wearing, once the girl saw Nasus she ran toward them.

"You were quick" she commented, she noticed Sivir next to Nasus "is that-?"

"A kid ?! That's your escort ? A kid ?"

"Hey ! Who do you call a kid ?!"

"You"

"That's uncalled- !"

Nasus quickly separated them like two angry dogs ...

"Would you stop ? We are kinda in the middle of the street"

"... fine ... I trust your judgement Nasus" Sivir sighed and extended her hand for the girl

"I'm Sivir"

" ... Taliyah" the girl grabbed Sivir's hand and shakes it a little

"Now that the presentations are drone we should go, if we are fast enough we can reach a safe place before the night ... I already bought enough equipment" Nasus motions for them to follow

"Do you already have a road in mind ?" Asked Sivir

"I do ... I have travelled throughout this desert for a long time"

"Wait- .. Nasus ... are you really-?"

Nasus looked around him ... there was no one around so he quickly showed his face to Taliyah.

"Good enough"

The young girl gasped ... an ascended, a literal half god right in front of her with who she would be travelling ...

"w-well at least it's done now ..."

They continued their walk.

"Sivir ... was that the first attack of the day ?"

"13th ... a bounty maybe ?"

"I'm surprised that this kind of ambush in the middle of the day doesn't seem suspicious to you"

"I'm a mercenary, you could be surprised about what my life looks like" Sivir looked at Taliyah behind her "And you ? What's your story ?"

"Hum ? ... oh ... I'm here to see my family-" seeing the Nasus was about to add something Taliayh continued "and I have to do something else at the sun disk"

"... and what exactly can you do ?"

"You could say I'm a stoneweaver ... " but Sivir didn't look convinced "I ... shape stone ? ... you know ? I control it ?"

"Oh ... next time say that first ... so you are a mage ? good"

Finally they reached an isolated shop, Nasus walked inside first.

"I'm here, you have what I asked ?"

An old man appeared in the back of the shop, he simply nodded and showed a big backpack in a corner of the room.

"What's inside ?" Asked Taliyah

"Food, tools ... antidotes"

"Cassiopea ... so you know ?"

"I happened to met her ... that's what she deserved after all, this new form suits her"

"Hum ... excuse me but, who the hell is Cassiopea now ?" Asked Taliyah slightly annoyed to be kept away

"A noxian noble ... well ex-noble, she tried to kill me in order to find s treasure, but in the end she was cursed and she freed Xerath-"

"And my brother ..." added Nasus

Taliyah was rather shocked, Sivir was responsible of all this things ... however she did not hold it against her, maybe it was indeed supposed to happen ... eventually ... Sivir was just unlucky in the end.

"Sooo ... why exactly are you in danger Sivir ?"

"So far I understand that a crazy "bloodthirsty" ascended wants my blood ... did I miss anything Nasus ?"

"No ... but you can add half of the living beings in this desert"

"Oh really just that ?" Ironically asked Sivir

"You are under my protection, it is well enough"

"... and say I left the sun disk for the exact same reason"

"Your ... blood ?" Asked Taliyah uncertain if it was a metaphor or the real reason

"I'm- ..." Sivir sighed "part of Azir's family ... if only I knew I had such a "wonderful" family tree, it is my blood which brought him back to life, so ... well I don't know much about rituals but I guess that Xerath could use it against Azir"

"And worst" added Nasus "alright, there is a small mountain one hour walk from here ... we should be able to reach it without any difficulty"

They had reach another exit of the city, Nasus showed them the location on a map.

"Hum ... we should still be careful"

"Why ?" Asked Taliyah

"Pirates" simply answered Sivir as if everyone knew about this

"Here ?!"

"You would be surprised to know how much treasures you can find here if you dig enough"

"Can we just go ? Unless you want to speak about your lives and possibly put your lives even more in danger than they already are" Asked Nasus showing a slight of annoyance

Taliyah had no concrete idea if what kind of situation she was in however Sivir knew exactly the full extent of an ascended's power ... after all she saw more than one.

"... how long will it take for us to get to the sun disk ? ... unless you haven't settled any schedule yet" asked Taliyah

"Honestly ... two weeks, if we are fast enough"

"Two weeks ?!"

"What ? You think it's too long ?"

"No ! In fact it's fast ! Maybe even too fast !"

"Hum ? You surprise me girl ... too fast you say ? And how much time do you think we need ?"

"I- ... well ... I would say ... a month ... and maybe more"

"Hum ... you aren't used to travel ... or at least not in a real way"

"I'm a nomad ... I never had the luxury of enjoying the beauty and the mysteries if my dear desert ... beside compared to you I am not immortal"

Nasus should feel insulted ... immortality ? Of course he wasn't immortal, no one is ... one day he will join his brothers and sisters just like anyone ...but yes, the ages were a burden and what Taliayh called a luxury sometimes looked like a curse. He kept too much secrets ...

"Hum ... then maybe you will learn a trick or two ... Sivir ? Wind direction ?" As Nasus asked Sivir was already working on it

"... south ... and it's heading west slowly ... let's hope it stays like this"

Taliyah observed with attention how it worked ... even if she didn't understand how Sivir could tell the direction of the wind and why it was so important she was definitely amazed.

"Good, we are lucky today ... forgot what I said, one week and 6 days"


End file.
